Texas Medicaid Payment Reform: Fewer Early Elective Deliveries And Increased Gestational Age And Birthweight [Medicaid Innovation]

We examined the impact of this policy on clinical care practice and perinatal outcomes by comparing the changes in Texas relative to comparison states. We found that early elective delivery rates fell by as much as 14 percent in Texas after this payment policy change, which led to gains of almost five days in gestational age and six ounces in birthweight among births affected by the policy. The impact on early elective delivery was larger in magnitude for minority patients. Other states may look to this Medicaid payment reform as a model for reducing early elective deliveries and disparities in infant health.

Source: Health Affairs - March 5, 2017 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Dahlen, H. M., McCullough, J. M., Fertig, A. R., Dowd, B. E., Riley, W. J. Tags: Maternal And Child Health, Medicaid Medicaid Innovation Source Type: research